


All That and a Side of Pop Culture

by frostysunflowers



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Avengers Movie Night, Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Domestic Avengers, Domestic Fluff, Family, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, Friendship, Hurt Peter Parker, Movie Reference, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Not Beta Read, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker is a Little Shit, Pop Culture, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Precious Peter Parker, Serious Amounts Of Fluff, Team Bonding, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, everybody is alive and happy goddamnit, lots of cheese
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-06
Updated: 2019-05-28
Packaged: 2020-02-27 06:23:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18733393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frostysunflowers/pseuds/frostysunflowers
Summary: Five times Peter's love of pop culture made Tony roll his eyes, and one time it simply made him smile.





	1. We're a duo, a duo!

**Author's Note:**

> So there was me, spending my week writing tons of fluff to try and get over the events of Endgame (seriously guys I'm still not coping I genuinely feel like I'm in mourning) and as I'm getting ready to post the first chapter, feeling a tiny teeny miniscule bit better, they go and drop the new trailer for Spider-Man and I AM NOT OKAY!
> 
> I'm calling it now, there's an AI of Tony in those sunglasses that Peter is wearing, or he knew about the multiverse somehow and he's gonna be helping Peter even though he's gone and I am going to DIE-
> 
> Anyway! This will be, from the start, full of fluff and ridiculous amounts of gooey Tony and Peter feels. I don't even care, I'm never getting off this train. The rolling the eyes part of the story, whilst originally playing a big part in the narrative, is actually pretty insignificant in relation to the stupid amounts of fluff going on so...calling it a 5+1 is probably a bit ambitious...soz haha. For the purpose of this story, Tony still owns the tower but also has the house by the lake, cos I’m greedy like that.
> 
> On with the first chapter! Tread carefully, there is fluff afoot! Warning for minor amounts of underage drinking. Excuse errors as always, please!

Tony stumbled blearily into the kitchen, feet treading the well-worn path to the coffee machine. He knew it was early from the pale pink light coming in through the windows, from the calmness of the air around him, from the soft giggling that carried over from the couches on the other side of the room. 

He smiled and shook his head fondly as he poured a cup of coffee. Peter always slept over on Saturday nights, which always meant a very early awakening for the poor teenager as the youngest member of the Stark family would always dive-bomb him in his bed with sheer excitement, unable to stay asleep for the desire to spend time with one of her favourite people. 

Tony shuffled out of the kitchen area and moved over to where the soft giggling had turned into happy laughter over the sound of the movie that was playing upon the big television screen on the wall. 

Peter was spread out on the couch against a mountain of pillows with Morgan propped up by his side. Their eyes were fixed on the screen; Peter’s half closed with sleepiness and Morgan’s wide with delight. 

''Are you guys watching Fievel _again_?''

Peter merely groaned tiredly at him whilst Morgan bounced up and down with a grin.

''It’s my favourite!''

''I know it’s your favourite,'' Tony said as he dropped down beside Peter, immediately reaching out to weave his fingers through the boy’s unruly hair, smiling into his coffee when Peter nuzzled sleepily into the touch. ''You sing the songs nearly every day!''

His voice, light with teasing, made Morgan turn to pout playfully at him. He stuck his tongue out at her before her attention was recaptured by the singing mouse on the screen.

''This is your fault,'' he muttered to Peter as Morgan began to join in with the song and bounce up and down with extra exuberance on the couch. 

''I know,'' Peter replied sombrely, slumping with defeat into Tony’s side. 

 

***

 

The party, an impromptu get together of their nearest and dearest and whoever else was deemed worthy of joining them for a good time, was going well. The ambience was happy and relaxed and the music had been consistently good, leading to a very full makeshift dancefloor. 

Tony peered out into the room from where he stood on the upper deck, eyes searching. 

''I bet he’s off doing something fun with Ned,'' Pepper said, running a hand down his back. 

''That’s what worries me,'' Tony replied, pecking her cheek before heading down the stairs, moving towards the small group that was maintaining a position at a corner of the bar.

''All I’m saying is that I am clearly leading the scoreboard!''

''Oh, please,'' Nat rolled her eyes at Quill. ''Beat Clint and then we’ll talk.''

''Oh, come on, you can’t compare me to him!'' Quill whined, looking to the others for help. ''He’s a trained assassin!''

''And you’re Star-Lord,'' Nat pointed out, sipping her red cocktail with a smirk as she slipped off. 

''Perhaps we should change the subject,'' Steve said loudly, clapping a disgruntled Quill on the shoulder. 

''Has anybody seen the kid?''

The small group at the bar turned to look at Tony as he approached them. 

Bruce chuckled. ''That’ll do it.''

''Not for a while,'' Steve said as the others shook their heads. ''Last time I did, he and Ned were hanging out by the buffet table.''

That figured; Peter was a bottomless pit and always said that the best thing about Tony’s parties was the food.

He’d hastily added ''after hanging out with you guys, obviously,'' when Tony had raised a mock-offended eyebrow at him. 

Tony headed over to the buffet table, spotting the very noticeable lack of food scattered across the silver platters and scratched his face thoughtfully, scanning the room once more. 

He heard it then, above the pulse of music and the background hum of chattering voices.

_Giggling._

He stepped back a bit and eyed the table suspiciously. Crouching down slowly, he reached out, took hold of the edge of the fancy cloth that covered the table and lifted it up. 

Peter and Ned were sat beneath it, slumped against one another, glassy-eyed and snickering. 

''Well, well! What do we have here?''

They gaped up at him, expressions somewhat starstruck, before they dissolved back into a fit of giggles.

''Holy _shit_ ,'' Ned wheezed, ''that’s Tony Stark.''

''Dude be cool,'' Peter muttered back loudly. ''He can hear us!''

''He can see you as well,'' Tony pointed out dryly. 

''Ohhh he can see us, Ned,'' Peter hissed, toppling sideways into Ned’s lap. 

Tony studied him with a frown. Then he noticed the two empty glasses by their feet, felt his nose burn as the ridiculously strong scent of alcohol hit him. He sighed, looking pointedly at Peter. 

''Oh, god,'' Peter curled in on himself. ''Tony is gonna know I got drunk thisissbadnedholyshit-''

Tony let the sheet fall back down over the hysterically whispering teens and stood up, groaning a bit at the twinge of protest in his lower back. He stalked over to where Bruce and Steve were still sitting with Thor and the Guardians by the bar. 

''Alright, who was it?''

He was met with many questioning stares from everyone but Rocket who studied his claws far too nonchalantly. 

Tony narrowed his eyes at him. 

''Hey, Build-A-Bear!'' Tony tugged on one of his ears, earning a snarl. ''Did you give the kids booze?''

''No I didn’t!'' Rocket snapped, folding his arms. ''It was Asgardian moonshine, much better than that swill you earth boys call _booze_ ,'' he scoffed. 

Thor stood up, outraged. ''You went into my personal supply?''

''Hey, it’s on my ship, therefore it’s my property!''

''It’s not your ship!'' Quill bristled, shoving his chair back as he also stood up. 

Steve sighed at the squabbling and looked at Tony. ''The kids are drunk?''

''Very much so.''

''You gave minors alcohol?'' Steve demanded, glaring at Rocket.

''I don’t even know what that means.'' Rocket squinted. 

''It isn’t even legal for them to drink for another six years!'' Bruce groaned into his hands. 

''Can we just get back to the part where they drank alien liquor?'' Tony demanded, skirting the edge of being beyond furious.

Rocket’s fur bristled. ''I poured a few drops into their juices, big deal! They sure as hell didn’t seem to mind. I didn’t know they weren’t s’posed to drink.'' He puffed his chest out defiantly. ''I just thought it might loosen ‘em up a little.''

''It is not meant for mortals, you foolish rabbit!'' Thor snarled, seizing Rocket by the lapels of the waistcoat he was wearing. ''It can reduce even the most powerful of Asgardians to mindless morons.''

''Well you must have drunk tons of the stuff then!'' Rocket bared his teeth. ''Now let go’a me, you overgrown pile of flesh!''

''Seriously, Rocket!'' Quill threw his hands up in the air as the raccoon continued to protest. 

''Okay,'' Tony’s voice was sharp. ''Enough out of you.'' He pointed a finger at Rocket who quietened down with a low grumble. 

''How bad is it, Tony?'' Steve asked.

''Well, they’re conscious, which is something,'' Tony pinched the bridge of his nose. ''They seem fine…just very drunk.''

''Is it likely to cause them any damage?'' Bruce looked at Thor.

''If this little beast,'' Thor gave Rocket a shake, ''is telling the truth and it was, in fact, only a couple of drops, then I imagine they will suffer no more than a rather horrendous headache and the odd bout of vomiting when they wake up tomorrow.''

''See!’’ Rocket looked a bit relieved. ''No harm done.''

Tony glowered at him for a moment before glancing at Quill and Thor. The devious smirks that met his gaze told him that the incident would be dealt with accordingly. 

''Bruce, best dig out the good drugs,'' he said as he walked away. ‘’I think the kid's gonna need them.''

Peter and Ned were where he had left them, still tittering away and practically cuddling. 

''SHHH!'' Peter hissed as Tony crouched down in front of them again. ''’S’Tony! Hi Tony!''

Tony looked at him fondly. ''Hey, Spider-baby.''

''Heyyyy his name is Tony,'' Ned slurred, pointing at Tony with a dopey grin and sniggering. ''Like Tony the Tiger.''

Peter gasped and flailed his hands before smacking Ned repeatedly on the shoulder. ''Like Tiger from Fievel!''

Tony barely had time to resent being compared to some fat ginger cat from a kid’s movie before his arms were full of a very excited and drunk teenager.

A very excited and drunk teenager who was _singing._

'' _We’re a duuuooo, a duuooo,_ ’’ Peter sang loudly beside his left ear, '' _a pair of lonely ones who were meant to be a twooo!_ ''

Tony laughed in bewildered surprise as Peter scrambled all over him, knocking Tony on to his back and wrapping him up in a near unbearable hug. 

'' _A duoooo, it’s true-ooo,_ '' Peter carried on singing into Tony’s chest, voice slurred and muffled, while Ned carried on cackling in the background. 

Tony rolled his eyes, held the kid close and accepted his fate, hoping that the inevitable upchucking that would take place tomorrow wouldn’t last too long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fievel was (still is) one of my most favourite films as a kid. If you've never seen it, sort it out and go and watch it!
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this one! Please leave kudos and comments if you did :)
> 
> Also add me up on tumblr if you wanna chat about Endgame and Far From Home cos seriously, I need to talk about it as I think I'll need actual therapy once this is all over!


	2. Peter Parker to Peter Pan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter is short! 
> 
> Pointless whump and fluff basically, enjoy!

It was late into the battle when Peter went down. 

The Guardians had been heading to Earth for some rest and relaxation when they’d been intercepted by a hostile ship, enemies of Quill’s old Ravager clan according to the furious voice of Rocket in the distress call, and they had burst into existence in the sky above the city with a hail of laser fire right behind them. 

They’d managed to make it near enough to the outskirts of the city and the fight had spilled out onto the ground, the enemy ship opening to reveal a small army of snarling pink-skinned aliens that were armed to the teeth with lethal weaponry. 

Rocket had wasted no time in firing the first shot and soon the air was filled with nothing but the sounds of battle. 

The enemy was tough, vicious and hungry for revenge (''They hated Yondu, not me!'' Quill yelled when Rocket blamed him for the tenth time) but it didn’t take long for the team to get the upper hand and lock the battle down, herding the fight into a smaller cluster of streets and pushing back with equal ferocity. 

Tony saw Peter whirl through the air, flinging one of the aliens (''No I don’t remember what they’re called, Rocket, probably the asshole brigade!'') through the air like one would throw a baseball before a spear came out of nowhere and sliced through the webbing Peter was swinging from. 

Tony watched with horror as Peter fell, arms flailing and webbing shooting out in two different directions in the hope of grabbing hold of something, _anything_ , while Tony flew towards him, arms outstretched, just a little more-

Peter hit the ground with such force that he bounced and skidded, shards of glass and pieces of debris flying up in a dusty cloud around him. 

Tony froze in the air, rendered still by memories of Rhodey. 

Rhodey falling too fast.

Rhodey being too far out of his reach.

Rhodey hitting the ground with a sickening smack.

_Rhodey Rhodey Rhodey but it’s not Rhodey now it’s Peter Peter Peter-_

A stray blaster ray glanced off his armour and Tony was jerked from his spiralling thoughts with a cry, Peter’s name falling desperately from his lips. 

''Peter!''

Laser fire whizzed overheard and deafening bangs rocked the ground as Tony landed beside Peter and scooped the boy into his arms, hurriedly ordering FRIDAY to tell Karen to retract his mask, revealing Peter’s unconscious face. He was bleeding from the noise and there was a dark redness smeared across his parted lips. More blood oozed from beneath his hair, staining his curls a horrible crimson colour, and one of his legs was bent at a terrible angle. 

''Peter…'' Tony shook him gently, flinching as the boy’s head flopped back lifelessly. ''Peter, can you- _Bruce!''_ His voice was high and sharp with panic. '' _Bruce, get here now!''_

There was a swooshing sound and a thud as somebody else landed beside him.

''Is he breathing?'' Quill asked as he knelt beside Tony. 

Tony wished so hard that his fingers weren’t encased in iron as he placed them around Peter’s chin, listening as FRIDAY read off vital signs and respiratory rate and _so many injuries_ -

''Tony!'' Quill hissed. ''Is he alive?''

''Hang on,'' Bruce’s voice came over the comms. ''I’ll be there soon, Tony, just hang-''

The sound of heavy gunfire cut him off and Quill immediately shot off the ground, swearing loudly and unleashing his own weapons into the fray that was edging closer to where Peter and Tony were sprawled on the ground. Tony could hear the rest of the team converging on their position, voices echoing over the comms and from short distances away; Steve’s steady voice calling out orders, Rocket cackling triumphantly as he shot multiple enemies out of the sky with flair, Nebula’s angry war-cry and Thor’s booming yells blending in with Clint and Nat’s ridiculous banter.

But all Tony could focus on was the fact that Peter just wasn’t moving. 

''C’mon, kid, please,'' he muttered, giving Peter’s face a firm tap as he cupped one bruised cheek. ''Just open your eyes for me.''

Blood trickled out from the corner of Peter’s mouth and slid down the side of his neck. Tony quickly rubbed it away, grimacing as it smeared a sticky streak across Peter’s pale skin. 

'' _Bruce!_ ''

Broken glass crunched beside them and then Steve was there, one hand grabbing Tony by the shoulder and the other picking up Peter’s slack left hand from the ground. 

''Bruce will be here any minute,'' Steve assured, pinning Tony with a stare that was both firm and kind. Tony stared back into his friend’s eyes, feeling himself shake with fear.

''He…Peter…Steve, I…'' 

Steve jerked away with a grunt as something fired at them, throwing up the shield protectively to deflect the shot before hurtling forward, fists and shield already swinging in retaliation. 

Tony reached for the hand that Steve had dropped and lifted it close to his mouth, pressing a kiss to the iron-covered knuckles. 

''Please don’t do this to me, kid,'' Tony whispered, ducking his head to rest against Peter’s shoulder. ''Not again…''

Thor hurtled past them, lightning bursting out of him and bathing him in an electric glow. He let out a roar and stamped a foot, urging power into the sky with such ferociousness that Peter suddenly came to life in Tony’s arms at the sound, jolting and letting out a small yell before immediately groaning in pain. 

''Oh,'' Tony let out a moaning gasp that was neither a laugh nor a cry, '' _there_ you are, Peter.''

To his utter bewilderment, Peter snorted weakly, spraying a bit of blood from his nose.

''S-sound l-like,'' he coughed breathlessly, ''that k-kid from H-Hook.''

Tony stared at him incredulously. 

''Really?'' he rasped, wondering if he should just sit back and let his heart give out now. ''You’re practically broken in pieces, we’re sitting down in the middle of an alien gunfight, you can hardly breathe and _that’s_ what you want to talk about?''

''You’re the…one who…s-said it,'' Peter muttered, clenching his teeth as he sucked in a wobbly breath. 

''You're such a brat,'' Tony whispered fondly, marvelling at the madness of their situation as he dropped a kiss onto Peter's sweaty forehead. ''Who do you think you are, huh? Everybody knows spider-babies can't fly.''

''J-just call me P-Peter Pan.''

''That’s it. We’re never watching it again. I’m deleting it later and I’m gonna make you watch while I do it.''

Peter chuckled stiffly. ''Y-you l-like that movie t-too…''

Tony rolled his eyes and held the shivering boy close, unwilling to dignify the comment with a response. 

The kid could always tell when he was lying anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those unfamiliar or unsure, this is inspired by the scene from Hook where the Lost Boys are trying to see if Peter really is Peter Pan, and one of them messes around with Peter's face until he finds what he's looking for and he says 'oh there you are, Peter!' and oh man it just gets my heart a little bit!


	3. This ain't no Stephen King novel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll admit it, I really have no shame. I'll do anything for feels!
> 
> Enjoy!

''What are you doing?''

Peter, knowing Nebula was already there thanks to the soft tingly feeling tiptoeing up his back, turned to smile at her. 

''Making some sandwiches for later.'' He flipped a bottle of mustard into his hand and held it out to her. ''Wanna help?''

Nebula took the bottle from him slowly, as though it were a live bomb, and stared at it.

''Or not,'' Peter said quickly, ''it’s no big deal.''

''I…don’t know how to…''

Nebula’s voice was quiet; steady but with a lilt of insecurity that Peter recognised straight away. 

''Here, I’ll show you!''

Nebula moved to stand beside him and watched intently with her obsidian eyes as Peter sliced a baguette in half, smeared an even layer of mustard on either side and piled it high with meat before pushing the halves back together again. After wrapping the sandwich up and placing it into the large picnic basket on the side, he repeated the action again, this time with mayonnaise and a ridiculous amount of cheese and ham, before pushing a spare chopping board in front of Nebula. 

''You try.''

Nebula slowly reached out to pick up a clean knife. She studied the selection of food in front of her. Peter, immediately realising that she probably didn’t know what half the stuff even was, slid a bowl of chopped tomatoes and a packet of cheese towards her. Nebula carefully smeared some mayonnaise across the bread slices and began to assemble the sandwich in a way that seemed almost too delicate for her. 

Peter watched her, a fond smile on his face. Though still unsure and wary of plenty, Nebula had come a long way since they had returned home. She had disappeared with the Guardians for a short while, wanting to be with her sister, but had appeared at the door one late night with a small bag and a defensive but vulnerable look on her face. Tony had greeted her with such warmth and excitement that Peter had actually teared up, feeling his insides turn all gooey as Nebula willing accepted the fatherly hug that Tony gave her.  
Peter didn’t quite know the ins and outs of how Tony and Nebula had become so close. He’d never really thought to ask, had just accepted the presence of the oddly aggressive but surprisingly gentle blue alien without thought, but he knew it was a good thing. He could tell that Nebula needed someone like Tony in her life, just like Peter did. 

''…Is this alright?''

Peter was broken from his thoughts by Nebula’s soft question. He turned to look at the sandwich she had created; it was so perfectly symmetrical in its layers and so carefully put together that Peter felt a bit bad that it would be unceremoniously gobbled up later.

''Looks great!'' he said with a grin, reaching out to tentatively bump his fist against Nebula’s shoulder. 

Nebula’s mouth twitched into the tiniest flicker of a smile and she handed the sandwich to Peter who pointedly wrapped it up as delicately as possible. He passed it back to Nebula who just as carefully, as though it were more valuable than diamonds, placed it into the basket. 

They carried on for a while, working in companionable silence except for when Peter suggested which fillings to use, before Nebula turned to him with a question.

''What happens during camping?''

''Oh, well, erm, lots of things really! Wow, like, we’ll build a fire and roast marshmallows, maybe sing some songs and play games, I guess tell some spooky stories but really I’m just basing this all off movies that I’ve seen ‘cos I’ve never actually been-''

''Spooky stories?''

''Oh, yeah, you don’t have those in space?'' Peter asked, suddenly feeling sad. ''Y’know, someone will tell a story to make everyone else feel creeped out?''

''Reality was usually frightening enough.''

Peter’s sadness increased tenfold and he felt the strong urge to hug Nebula, though he knew it would be foolish to attempt it; only Tony was allowed that privilege. 

''Right…'' Peter looked down at his shoes, suddenly unsure of what to do. 

''Tell me one of your spooky stories.''

Peter looked up, eyes wide with surprise. ''Huh?''

''I would like to hear one of them.''

There was something so endearingly curious about Nebula’s expression, the glittering shine of her eyes and the soft pout of her mouth, that made Peter’s heart swell a little. 

''O-okay,'' he said with a grin so wide that it made Nebula visibly relax her shoulders. ''Okay, let me think…''

A little later on, as they were just putting the finishing touches to the massive collection of sandwiches and other snacks, Tony appeared in the kitchen. 

''Hey, Cornflower!'' Tony grinned brightly and wrapped an arm around Nebula who couldn’t hide a smile at one of the many nicknames Tony had for her. ''When did you get here?''

Nebula ducked her head somewhat bashfully as Tony gave her a squeeze whilst hooking his free arm around Peter. 

''All ready for your first ever camp out?'' Tony asked, giving them both a little jiggle. ''I hope you packed the bug spray!''

Peter elbowed him as Nebula turned to look at him with alarm. 

''Don’t worry, Bluebell, you’re gonna love it!''

***

''Dum-E, I swear to god if you douse me, I am going to throw you on the fire,'' Tony groused to the anxiously beeping robot. ''Just-just-just go over there, okay? By that tree and don’t move unless I tell you to, alright?''

There was a sympathetic chuckle as Dum-E cruised morosely over to the tree Tony had pointed to, fire extinguisher hanging limply. 

''Aw, don’t worry, buddy!'' Peter patted the robot as he passed. ''You know he doesn’t mean to be so horrible.''

''Hey, I resent that remark!'' Tony pointed a stick at Peter. ''He’s a hazard to my good time.''

''You’re a hazard to mine,'' Clint mumbled before ducking with a chuckle as Tony launched a marshmallow at him. 

The group was clustered around a large fire, sitting on log benches or relaxing on folding chairs, sharing bags of chips and hunks of sandwiches whilst drinks were passed around and happy and vibrant chatter filled the warm night air. Cassie and Cooper led the way in roasting the marshmallows with an enthusiastic Thor supervising; Quill, Drax and Rocket discussed the sandwich options with as much intense focus as a plan for a dangerous heist; Steve, Sam and Bucky playfully bickered and jabbed at one another with poles as they attempted to assemble their three-man tent whilst Pepper sat back with a contented sigh as Bruce quietly cooed scientific theories into the ear of the bundled up Morgan dozing off in his arms. Peter sat in the middle of it all beside Tony, sandwich in hand and a beaming grin on his face. 

Except for the times where he and Tony would build a blanket fort on the couch and stuff their faces with junk whilst watching movies until the early hours, Peter never felt happier than he did when everybody was together, doing nothing but simply enjoying the company of one another. 

''So, anybody got any good ol’ fashioned ghost stories to tell?'' Clint asked.

''Oh, yes!'' Thor stood up eagerly. ''I have the most inter-''

''One that doesn’t require a degree in Asgardian folklore to understand.''

Thor stuck his tongue out childishly at a smirking Quill before sitting back down with a grumble. 

''C’mon, has nobody got one?'' Tony glanced around at everybody. ''Or are we gonna have to get Terminator over there,'' he gestured to Bucky, ''to tell us about the horror story that is Steve Rogers in the morning?''

Both men levelled a fond glare at Tony from where they stood by their lopsided tent. 

''Nobody wants to hear about that!'' Sam shouted from somewhere inside. 

''Peter has a story.''

Peter froze, sandwich halfway to his mouth, as everyone else turned to look at either him or Nebula. 

''He said it was an Earth classic.'' Nebula added. 

Tony clapped Peter on the back. ''Get on with it then, kiddo.''

''I, erm,'' Peter coughed awkwardly, squashing his sandwich in his hand and blushing as everyone carried on looking at him expectantly. ''It’s not really a story, I was just-I mean, Nebula, she wanted to…haha, uh…''

He took a deep breath and fought the sudden urge to laugh hysterically. 

''Uh, so, once upon a time, I mean…'' he cleared his throat way too loudly. ''it was a dark and stormy night…''

He only got through about two minutes of the story before Tony cuffed him round the side of the head and several marshmallows were hurled at him amidst laughter and jeering.

''You told her that The Shining was an American classic?'' Tony exclaimed, voice high with disbelief. 

''What the hell is The Shining?'' Bucky asked Sam through the tent flap. 

Peter grinned sheepishly. ''I, erm…''

''Seriously?'' Tony rolled his eyes before turning back to a confused Nebula. ''Don’t listen to a word this kid says, Bluebell. He’s a pain in the ass.''

Nebula shrugged. ''I liked it. It was suitably spooky,'' her tongue curled awkwardly around the new word, ''as Peter would call it.''

''We can watch the movie!'' Peter said excitedly and felt a warm tingle as Nebula immediately nodded in agreement.

''Oh, no!'' Tony nearly shouted. ''I’m not having you fill her head with some rubbish starring Jack Nicholson and some creepy kid who needs to learn how to spell properly and I’ll sure as hell be damned if-HEY!''

Dum-E, who Peter assumed had taken Tony’s elevated voice as a sign of distress, came up behind the man and unleashed the fire extinguisher, sending Tony flailing to the ground with a furious yell. Screams of laughter and cheering echoed out all around as Tony slowly, menacingly, rose up like a spectre, glaring murderously at the bot. 

''Run, Dum-E!''

Not needing to be told twice, the bot spun on the spot and shot off towards the trees, moving faster than Peter knew he was capable of. Tony flew after him, seizing a large stick off the ground on the way and whirling it like a sword as he chased Dum-E into the night, declaring all manner of revenge and hollering back threats to Peter for good measure as everybody continued to bask in the hilarious madness that only seemed to occur around Tony Stark.

As another ridiculous threat met Peter’s ears, Nebula scooted closer to him so that their shoulders brushed, and Peter grinned happily, knowing it was totally worth it.


	4. Calling Doctor Jones

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't even defend this-it's just pure ridiculousness. 
> 
> Enjoy!

''How long have you been sitting here?''

Peter craned his head back to look up at Tony. 

''Erm…two and half movies worth of time?'' He mumbled thoughtfully as he stretched his legs out in front of him, pointing his toes with a satisfied groan. 

''Hey hey!’’ Sam snapped. ‘’FRIDAY, pause.''

Tony raised an eyebrow as the man glared over at him. ''There’s serious stuff going on here!''

He gestured to the smaller couch that Steve and Bucky were sitting on, tucked up cosily on either end with a shared blanket covering them. ''They are being educated on movie culture here and don’t need you distracting them.''

''Movie culture?'' Tony glanced up at the screen. ''It’s Indiana Jones.''

Peter blinked tiredly at him. ''What’s wrong with Indiana Jones?''

''Nothing,'' Tony said quickly, not willing to risk any upset, or wrath in Sam’s case. He dropped down onto the couch beside Peter who immediately burrowed into him. He wrapped an arm around the kid and snagged a share of the fluffy blanket that was draped over Peter’s legs. Peter curled his arm around Tony’s waist, sighing happily and Tony knew that he would be asleep in minutes.

''This better not turn into a fiasco like last time, kiddo,'' he breathed quietly into Peter’s curls as the movie resumed playing. ''Hearing you and Wilson squabble over Star Wars nearly drove me insane.''

''Noted,'' Peter replied with a yawn. 

***

''Are you for real?'' Sam yelled as he spun through the air, dodging several bullets. ''Temple of Doom is clearly the most inferior!''

''Get a grip, birdbrain,'' Bucky snapped from down on the ground, ducking as a bus was thrown over his head. ''You’re talking out of your ass.''

'' _You’re_ talking out of your ass, Barnes! No way you’re gonna tell me that I’m wrong on this one!''

''This really isn’t the time!'' Steve scolded over the comms. 

There was a short radio silence. 

''There was no Sallah in the second one so it’s definitely the worst of the three.''

Steve’s comment immediately blew up the channel, inciting vehement arguments and protests from Wilson and Barnes.

Up on a nearby rooftop, Tony turned to look at Peter. His face was covered by the Iron Man mask but he knew from the way the boy shrank into himself guiltily, he could tell that Tony was glaring at him.

***

''But they have the melty faces in Raiders!''

''So? Melting faces have got nothing on the chilled monkey brains scene!''

Sam jabbed a slice of pizza in Peter’s direction. ''You take that back.''

''And Temple of Doom has Short Round!''

Sam threw his arms up. ''I can’t believe you think that’s a valid argument.''

''Last Crusade has Nazis in it.''

Sam rolled his eyes at Steve. ''Figures that the war hero would like the one where lots of fascist nutjobs get killed.''

Steve chuckled. ''Well…yeah.''

''Still think Indy should have shot Hitler.'' Bucky groused around his own slice of pizza.

Tony watched them all from where he sat at the other end of the table with Pepper, a look of dismay on his face. Peter caught his eye and swallowed a hunk of pizza before grinning sheepishly at him. 

***

Rhodey threw a disbelieving look up to the ceiling. ''I can’t believe I’m actually hearing this.'' He turned to Peter. ''You actually think Temple of Doom is the best Indy film?''

''Yes!'' Peter said, folding his arms defensively. 

''And you agree with him?'' Rhodey looked over at Bucky who shrugged. 

''What can I say? The opening scene just does it for me.''

''Ignore him and his primitive ways,'' Sam flapped his hand dismissively. ''Where do you stand, Rhodes?''

''Last Crusade, obviously.''

''Oh, come on!'' Sam snapped, dropping his head into his hands. ''Look, they’re both old,’’ he gestured to Steve and Bucky, ''they don’t know what they’re saying. And he,'' he pointed to a pouting Peter, ''he’s just young and stupid. You’re supposed to be a smart man, Rhodes!''

Tony groaned into the towel he was using to mop the sweat from his face. Nat chuckled softly beside him as she dropped gracefully onto the mat. 

''How long has this been going on for?''

''A week,'' Tony whined pitifully. ''I thought a sparring session would shut them up but look,'' he pointed over to where the Sam was gesticulating wildly at Steve, ''they’ve gone and corrupted Rhodey too!''

Nat hummed thoughtfully. ''Maybe I need to properly watch these movies.''

Tony buried his face back into the towel and screamed. 

***

The debate carried on for another week; in that time, most of the team had become embroiled in the fiasco and Tony had nearly gone insane. It seemed as though every single spare moment was dedicated to hashing out which of the three films (because the fourth one didn’t count according to Peter) was superior; the fact that the great and honourable Steve Rogers had allowed himself to be caught up in such ridiculousness was enough for Tony to give up all hope of ever living in a world where conversation would revolve around anything but whether Harrison Ford was more heroic by finding the holy grail or freeing a bunch of enslaved children from some voodoo nutcase. 

On Saturday evening, Tony realised that for the first time in what felt like forever, the tower was quiet. Granted, from his position in the lab, he wasn’t really able to tell, but something in the air just felt different. 

''FRIDAY,'' he called suspiciously, ''where is everybody?''

''Mr Rogers has instructed the team to vacate the premises for a while, boss.''

Tony frowned. ''Why?''

''He said it was to, and I quote, stop you from going full supervillain on them and finding some devious and unpleasant way of making them pay for the last two weeks.''

Tony snorted. ''Cap’s smarter than he looks.''

''Peter, however, is currently in the penthouse watching a movie in his bedroom.''

''He didn’t go with them?''

''He is showing mild signs of discomfort, most likely due to the injury he sustained to his left ankle during his patrols earlier.''

''He wh-that damn kid,'' Tony muttered as he strode into the elevator and headed for the penthouse. ''Why didn’t he say anything? Why didn't _you_ say anything?''

''He deemed treatment unnecessary, boss.''

'' _Is_ it necessary?''

''It looks to be nothing more than a rather severe sprain. With his healing ability, the injury will have disappeared in approximately two hours.''

Still unhappy, Tony strode out of the elevator and headed towards the kid’s bedroom. He knocked once before opening the door, not giving the kid time to verbally grant him access. 

''Why didn’t you tell me you’d hurt your leg?''

Peter, looking adorably rumpled with his damp curly hair and Hello Kitty pyjamas, ducked down into his pillow a little. 

''It’s not a big deal, it’ll be fine in a few hours.''

''Yeah, that’s all well and good, kid, but a few hours doesn’t really help us now.''

He sat on the edge of Peter’s bed and patted his thigh, wordlessly telling Peter to place his injured ankle there. Peter obeyed silently, lifting his leg and lowering it down so that his heel grazed the soft denim of Tony’s jeans. He hissed and Tony winced in sympathy. The skin around Peter’s ankle was mottled with black and purple bruising and was rather swollen. He brushed his fingertips against it, murmuring soft apologies as Peter let out a little cry. 

''FRIDAY?''

''There is some suitable pain relief medication in Peter’s bathroom cabinet. This should help to relieve the discomfort somewhat.''

Tony gently eased Peter’s foot back onto the bed and disappeared into the en suite, rooted around in the cabinet above the sink before retrieving the correct bottle of pills. Filling a small glass with water from the tap, he headed back into the room and held out two pills to Peter. The kid took them obediently, accepted the glass of water and downed it all in one go.

''So what happened?''

''Slipped as I was landing,'' Peter explained. ''Floor was wet where the robber had crashed into a fish tank.''

''Fish tank?''

''They were robbing a pet store.''

Tony blinked. ''Who robs a pet store?''

''I don’t know.'' Peter shrugged. ''Maybe someone who really wants a pet?''

''God, I despair at the criminal classes,'' Tony sighed as he sat back down on the bed, scooting over so he was beside Peter. He noticed the boy look down awkwardly, avoiding his gaze. He was about to question him when a familiar line of dialogue caught his ear.

_''Hey, lady! You call him Doctor Jones!''_

His head snapped towards the television screen, jaw falling open.

''Seriously, kid? What are you trying to do to me?!''

''I’m sorry!'' Peter said loudly, half laughing half panicking. ''I asked FRIDAY to just put anything on and this is what she chose!''

Tony groaned, raking a hand through his hair. 

''Mister Stark?''

''Tony, kid.'' Tony automatically corrected him, though his lips quirked into a fond smile at the kid's old habit. ''What?''

''You’ve never said which one you like best.''

Tony raised an eyebrow at him.

''Which one do _you_ like best?''

Peter looked down at his fingers as they twisted together in his lap. 

''It used to be Last Crusade. I liked the whole thing with Indy and his dad teaming up and the ending where they ride off into the sunset was always pretty cool.'' He smiled wistfully. ''It was Uncle Ben’s favourite too.''

Tony felt his chest tighten a bit at the look on the kid’s face. He pressed his weight tentatively into Peter’s side, giving him the opportunity to move away if he wanted to. Unsurprisingly, the boy leaned back into him willingly. 

''But then I met you.''

The words, so shy and soft, made Peter sound so young that Tony had to fight the urge to bundle him up into a hug. He’d spoken as though he was telling a secret, and Tony found himself ducking his head closer, eager to hear. 

''And?''

''Well, in Temple of Doom, Indy has Short Round and looks out for him,'' Peter explained, voice picking up speed rapidly, ''and Short Round really loves Indy and always wants to help him and I guess it just reminds me of you, and me-I mean, not that you’re like Indiana Jones because that would just be stupid, but not that you’re not cool and I’m clearly just-''

''Kid!'' Tony stopped him with a laugh. ''Pump the brakes a bit, huh?''

Peter nodded and took a breath. Tony smiled at him, finding the kid so goddamn endearing that it made him tingle all over. 

''So, you’re saying that it’s your favourite because a sassy archaeologist and a pain in the ass kid wearing a baseball cap reminds you of us?''

''Erm…'' Peter smiled dopily, the drugs clearly kicking in a little. ''Yes?''

Tony rolled his eyes and shuffled so that he could hook an arm around Peter, pulling them down into a more comfortable position. 

''You wound me, Pete.'' He teased as Peter snuggled into him sleepily. ''I’m way cooler than Indiana Jones.''


	5. Yo Ho Yo Ho A Pirate's Life For Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're well past the point of obscene amounts of cheese and fluff but I just can't bring myself to stop, it's like a sickness I tell you!
> 
> Enjoy!

Peter wanted to go to the beach.

So Tony bought a private island. 

Not just for Peter obviously, despite what Pepper’s teasing looks might have suggested. Tony was nothing but a realist after all, and he knew there was no way that the team (because _of course_ nearly everybody wanted to come once they’d heard the idea) could spend a day together at a public beach without it becoming a paparazzi nightmare. Hardly the ideal situation for rest and relaxation. 

Besides, since losing his Malibu mansion, Tony had fancied himself another little place by the sea. 

''An actual island though?'' Pepper had said exasperatedly when he’d pitched the idea to her. 

''Honey, what is the point of being a billionaire if I can’t splurge a little?''

''You’re lucky that your status as a superhero is solid,'' Pepper smirked, ''as I’m pretty sure this is step one in the supervillain manual.''

''Step two,'' he corrected her and pressed a kiss to her nose. ''Straight after experiencing some horrible accident.''

She had looked pointedly at his chest, long since void of the arc reactor, and he snorted. 

''Guess none of those other guys had a Pepper Potts to keep them on the straight and narrow.''

She’d playfully shoved him then before letting him wrap an arm around her. ''Come on then, let’s see what you’ve found.''

''I thought you’d never ask, Mrs Stark.''

He’d let Pepper choose the place, knowing that she had a much better eye than him for such things, and soon enough he was telling a giddy Peter that they were going on vacation. 

''We are?'' Peter had practically fallen off his chair in his excitement. ''For real?''

''Sun, sand and sea, kiddo! Just like you wanted.''

The bone-crushing hug he received was the best kind of thank you.

 

********

 

''So what do you think?''

Peter gaped at him, turned in a full circle to gape at his surroundings, and then gaped at Tony some more. 

Tony chuckled. ''That good, huh?''

The rest of the group were behaving in a similar manner, laughing in disbelief and shaking their hands in wonder. 

Tony couldn’t blame them; it really was a paradise. 

Though modest by private island standards, the land was by no means unimpressive. Shaped in an almost perfect circle, one could walk the whole island within an hour and it was less than a five minute stroll from the huge rustic villa to the sea. 

''This place is…'' Peter let out a breathy laugh, eyebrows high in amazement. 

Crystal clear water lapped at the golden shores, sparkling sunbeams danced through the canopy of leaves formed by the towering palm trees and the villa stood welcoming in the nearby distance. Tony clapped a hand onto the boy’s shoulder and grinned. 

''How's that for a beach, kiddo?''

Peter could only look at him and laugh in bewildered joy again. 

''Daddyyyy! Can we go in the water now?''

The two of them looked down at a pouting Morgan. With her pursed lips and defiant glare, Tony was reminded of himself. 

''Gotta unpack first, Morguna,'' he said, casting a glance back to where the others were unloading their bags off the Quinjet and the Benatar. ''Then we’ll race these slowpokes to the water, huh?''

Assigning rooms had taken some organising but it wasn’t long before everybody was beach ready and heading down towards the shoreline. Steve dragged a barbeque along behind him whilst Sam and Bucky carried the necessary tools and food and immediately began fighting for position as chief cook. Happy and Bruce grabbed some chairs and spread some towels out and Rhodey and Tony stuck a few giant parasols into the sand whilst Pepper slathered Morgan in a thick layer of sunscreen before decking her out in a floppy hat, a colourful long-sleeved swimming outfit and armbands. 

''Tiny Stark!'' Thor boomed from where he stood in the shallows with Carol and T’Challa, surfboard in hand. ''Are you ready?''

''Coming, Uncle Thor!''

Tony watched with a laugh as the little girl charged towards the god of thunder, all but climbing him like a monkey and wrapping herself around his back. Thor checked she was secure before heading out on the board, deep laughter loud over the splashing of the water. 

Quill quickly followed them somewhat ungracefully, looking ridiculous in a pair of neon-green trunks. Clint and his kids ran along the sand in pursuit of the frisbee that Bruce had hurled from some distance away whilst Wanda stretched out like a cat in the shade of a tree, a serene smile on her face. Strange and Wong appeared in a whirl of orange, startling Rhodey so much that he nearly fell from his deckchair. 

Peter didn’t stay in one place for very long. Tony, sprawled lazily in the sun beside Pepper, watched as he playfully pestered Happy, who was trying to read, and helped Scott, Cassie and Hope with their sandcastle fortress, readying them for battle against Groot and Rocket. Then he was digging a hole with Mantis and Gamora to bury Drax in before racing Nat and Nebula across the sand, leaving them in the dust as he dove neatly into the cerulean waters, surfacing with a laugh so happy that Tony felt his chest ache. 

''You did good.''

''Did-did you just compliment me, Miss Potts?''

''I did,'' Pepper confirmed in a wry tone, smiling a little at the use of her former name. 

Tony gasped and quickly placed a hand on Pepper’s forehead. ''Honey, are you sick? Should we call a doctor?''

Pepper swatted him with a laugh. ''I’m serious!''

''Well I should hope so, as you never tell me that I’m right.''

She smirked. ''I never said you were right.''

''Ooo, now that’s just playing dirty,'' he murmured with a grin, leaning down to kiss her soundly. 

They stayed like that for a while, kissing lazily in the sunshine, surrounded by the sounds of the sea and the breeze and the laughter that came from all directions. 

''Can you guys stop being gross now?''

Tony broke away from Pepper to level a glare at a dripping wet Peter.

''Gross?'' He pointed a finger up at Peter. ''This is nothing compared to when I caught you and MJ playing tonsil hockey a few weeks ago.''

Peter blushed bright red. ''I wasn’t…I mean I – but – s-she kissed me!''

''Oh, I know,'' Tony chuckled, sitting up. ''Didn’t stop you from kissing her back though, did it, Romeo?''

''Stop it, you.'' Pepper elbowed him before smiling kindly at the still blushing teenager standing above them. ''Ignore him, Peter. He just wishes he was still young and full of vitality like you.''

'' _Still_ young?!’’ Tony squawked, looking indignantly at his wife as she stood up with a grin and headed towards the water. ''I’m not old!''

Peter sniggered before letting out a yelp as Tony seized his hand and yanked him down onto the bed of towels. 

''I get a private beach for everyone to play on and this is the thanks I get.''

Peter patiently listened to the man grumble, stretching out as much as he could on the towels, wet hair drying into a messy tangle of curls in the warm air. 

Tony eventually quietened, fixing the boy with a fond look before leaning into him, a movement which Peter immediately returned. They sat together silently for a while, calm and content amidst the lively antics surrounding them. 

''I’ve never been to the beach before.'' Peter said quietly. 

Tony blinked. ''Seriously?'' There were plenty of local beaches for the kid to spend the day on back home. 

Peter saw the look and shook his head. ''Not like this, I mean. I don’t think Coney Island really counts when places like this exist,'' he said with a small laugh. ''Uncle Ben always talked about going away somewhere but we could just never afford it…and then, well…yeah…'' He took a breath. ''I’d never even left the city before until you took me to Germany.''

''Well, I kinda figured that from the lack of a passport, kid.''

Peter smiled gently but didn’t reply. Tony lifted a sandy arm and hooked it around Peter.

''Is it everything you imagined?''

Peter’s eyes looked out at the sea and crinkled with fondness as he watched their friends, their family, enjoying the small slice of peace that they still weren’t quite used to. He huffed out a happy little sigh and turned to grin at Tony. 

''Better.''

They stayed there for a long time; way after Steve and Bucky had proudly served a veritable smorgasbord of grilled treats and Quill had wiped out spectacularly in the surf; past Clint and Pepper shepherding a group of tired children up to bed (Tony and Peter were granted many lazy kisses from a sleepy Morgan) and long after the sun set in a blaze of colour and the sky turned an inky black where millions of stars twinkled like diamonds. 

Lanterns cast an intimate glow across the beach and the trees swayed lazily in the soft breeze that carried just a hint of a chill with it. Nearly everybody else had long since ventured inside with only a few stragglers dotted across the sand. Music played from somewhere nearby and the sound of Rocket’s raucous laughter and Rhodey’s good-natured grousing rang out in the darkness. 

Tony and Peter remained where they were, both now wearing sweatshirts and sharing the blanket that Nat had brought out for them, along with a flask of coffee for Tony and a flask of hot chocolate for Peter. 

''Does it ever bother you?'' Peter asked as he stared up into the night sky. ''Looking up at the stars.''

Tony sipped his coffee thoughtfully. ''It used to,'' he replied. ''But not so much anymore.''

Peter nodded. ''That’s good.''

''Do you know any constellations?''

''No. Do you?''

Tony shook his head. ''Wanna make some up?''

Peter laughed. ''Sure.''

They were halfway through playfully arguing over whether a nearby cluster of dots looked more like a duckbilled platypus or a dog wearing a hat when a loud commotion had them both sitting up, blanket tangling around them. 

Thor hurtled clumsily along the shore, swinging a bamboo stick violently like a sword after Quill who was jogging backwards, whirling two bamboo sticks of his own through the air with enough force to make a whipping noise. 

''Cease your nonsense, you idiotic spaceman!''

''I’m not a spaceman, you jackass! I’m a Guardian! You're the spaceman, seeing as you actually _come from space_ , asshole!''

''Get ‘im, Thor!'' Rocket yelled from somewhere near the treeline.

''Shut up!'' Quill snarled, barely ducking a blow before hitting out with his left stick, glancing Thor’s arm with a sharp smack. ''I’m the captain and I am in charge!''

''I challenge your rule, you moronic fool!'' Thor bellowed, roaring dramatically as he smacked the stick into the ground, sweeping sand into the air. 

''And that,'' Tony said slowly, somewhat stunned by the whole thing, ''is why you should never drink, kiddo.''

The rambunctious opening beat of a familiar theme song met his ears and he turned a narrow-eyed glare onto Peter. The boy was grinning and holding his phone out so that the music could carry over to where the demigod and earthman-cum-spaceman were locking sticks, yelling obscenities and stumbling around drunkenly. 

''Really? Pirates of the Caribbean?'' Tony sighed, rolling his eyes. ''You’re giving them way too much credit, kid.''

Rocket and Rhodey’s approving laughter rang out loudly and Tony fell back onto the sandy towels with a thud, closing his eyes with a grin as the warm weight of Peter beside him and the sound of Thor and Quill beating each other up to the theme song of an impish pirate lulled him into a light and comfortable slumber.


	6. Spider-Man Spider-Man

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! Got a bit stuck with it for a while, especially as I felt a bit (okay a lot) angsty due to another viewing of Endgame so I had to get back in a fluffy place and oh boy, believe me, this is like absolutely the fluffiest of the fluff, it made my teeth ache to write it! 
> 
> Enjoy!

''How is he, Brucie-bear?''

''He’s pretty rough,'' Bruce’s voice was soft, reassuring. ''But he’s okay.''

''You sure?''

Bruce chuckled. ''I’m sure. I put him on the couch in the penthouse and left him watching old Star Trek reruns. I tried telling him to go to bed but he said he wanted to wait for you.''

Tony couldn’t help but smile at that.

''I’m synthesising something for the pain as we speak. He didn’t want the stuff we used last time because he said it made him feel sick.''

Not just sick, Tony thought, but delirious too. Tony would never forget the absolute terror in the kid’s voice as he had screamed at some imaginary horror that Tony couldn’t see, let alone do anything about.

He flinched at the memory of the Peter’s voice begging him to make it go away. ''Yeah, let’s not go down that route again. Something that just takes the edge off, helps him sleep. Hold the side order of nightmares and hallucinations.''

Bruce snorted. ''Will do. See you soon.''

Tony hung up and sank back into the seat with a sigh.

''The kid okay?'' Happy asked from up front.

''Yeah.'' Tony’s mouth lifted in a small smile at the badly concealed concern in Happy’s voice. ''Couldn’t hurt to pick up the pace a bit though.''

''Gotcha.''

 

********

 

''What are you doing, platypus?''

Rhodey glanced over his shoulder at Tony. ''Making our resident spider something with some actual nutrients in it. Jeez, Tony, I swear that kid lives off pizza and potato chips.''

''He likes sandwiches too,'' Tony said as he came up behind his friend, eyeing the bright green concoction that Rhodey was pouring into a glass.

''Here.'' Rhodey slid the glass across the breakfast bar. ''You can take it to him as we both know you'll be the only one out of the two of us to get him to drink it.''

Tony picked the glass up like it was a discarded tissue, looking at Rhodey suspiciously, before he headed to the lounge. He immediately caught sight of the figure on the couch and paused in the doorway, taking in the scene in front of him with what he knew was a ridiculously soft smile on his face.

Peter was stretched out on the couch, wearing one of Tony’s tatty college sweatshirts and a faded pair of black sweatpants. His nose was bright red and there was a sheen of sweat glistening on his forehead in the light coming from the television. An impressive amount of crumpled tissues and a discarded blanket lay on the floor and the table was littered with yet more tissues and two half empty bottles of water. He looked so incredibly young and fragile, miles away from his indomitable and strong alter ego, and it made Tony want to bundle him up safe and tight and not let go.

''He reminds me of you,'' Rhodey murmured as he came up behind Tony.

Tony tilted his head back to arch an eyebrow at his friend. ''Because I’m also gross and snotty?''

Rhodey snorted. ''I meant him in general reminds me of you, idiot.''

''Yeah? How?''

They both looked over as Peter chuckled hoarsely at Spock giving Kirk one of his sassy eyebrow quirks on the screen. He yawned and rubbed his face into the sleeve of Tony’s jumper with a tired sigh.

''Just something about him,'' Rhodey said with a smile before nudging Tony’s shoulder with his own and walking away.

Tony continued to watch Peter for another minute before announcing his presence.

''Is that my sweatshirt?'' he said teasingly as he moved over towards the couch, expecting a sarcastic quip in return.

So it surprised him when Peter shot off the couch, steadying himself on the table and knocking the water bottles over as his feet became tangled in the blanket.

''M-mister Stark I’m so sorry, it was mixed in with my stuff and I put it on before I realised but before I could change it Mr Bru – I mean Doctor Banner was telling me I had to go lie down and I didn’t have the chance to change but here – '' He began to tug at the hem of the sweatshirt, ''y-you can have it back but I’ll go and wash it first – ''

''Whoa whoa, kid! Slow down, take a breath, yeah?'' Tony set the glass down and reached out to grip Peter’s shoulder, inhaling deeply so that Peter would copy him. ''A couple of those for me, okay?''

As Peter sucked in a few gulps of air that rattled ominously in his chest, Tony mentally kicked himself for having not taken a more considerate approach. Peter didn’t get sick often, a perk of having awesome spider powers, but when he did it always knocked him sideways and it wasn’t unusual for the kid to become anxious, for his insecurities to take centre stage because he felt vulnerable, miserable and just plain poorly.

''You’re feeling rough, huh?'' Tony said gently, reaching out to card a hand through Peter’s messy hair before settling his palm on Peter’s hot forehead, smiling softly when Peter closed his eyes and leaned into the touch. ''You really are burning up there, you know.''

Peter nodded. ''Hurts,'' he whispered.

''I’ll bet,'' Tony muttered, taking in the pallor of Peter’s skin, the dark circles under his fever-bright eyes and the familiar pinched expression that only came when there was a furious headache happening.

Tony was no stranger to the unwell child gig by now. Morgan had been sick plenty of times over the last few years and Tony had all the tricks of the trade down; he knew when to apply a cold compress, when soup was needed over a juice pop, the tell-tale signs that signified impending upchucking, the softest brand of tissues for a sore snotty nose and, of course, how to cheer his baby up when she looked at him with her gunky face and sad eyes, silently pleading with him to make it all better.

Somehow, he didn’t think multiple viewings of Lilo and Stitch and a bowl of chicken soup was going to cut it with Peter. Tony winced as the kid erupted into a fit of coughing that had him doubled over and gasping for breath.

''Okay, kiddo, easy,''

He eased the kid back down onto the couch. ''Bruce is whipping some of the good stuff up for you in his lab. Not! – '' he held up a hand as Peter looked at him in panic, ''the stuff you had before. Something new, just for you, my little creepy crawly.''

Peter blushed at the name before rolling his eyes. ''That’s the worst one yet.''

''Really? I thought it was rather ingenious myself.''

'''M’not creepy.''

''Ah, but you are definitely crawly.''

''You suck.''

Tony laughed as he gently coaxed Peter to settle back into the cushions. ''Is that any way to speak to your fabulous and oh so wonderful mentor?''

Peter scowled at him with no real feeling before sneezing again. Tony wordlessly handed him a handful of tissues and watched with a furrowed brow as the kid blew his nose a few times.

_''Damn it Jim I’m a doctor not a magician!''_

The lame joke from the television made Peter chuckle weakly and Tony felt a familiar rush of fondness for him. 

''Okay, bud, here’s the plan. You take care of _that,''_  he gestured to the runny nose Peter was trying to get under control, ''and pick out a movie to watch while I go grab some supplies. Sound good?''

He didn’t wait for an answer. He stood and, just to appease Rhodey if nothing else, grabbed the green drink from the table and pushed it into Peter’s hands.

''Drink this.''

''W-what is it?''

''Good for you!''

He swept the used tissues into the nearby wicker bin, grabbed the two water bottles and headed off into the kitchen.

''How we looking, Bruce?'' he said aloud, knowing FRIDAY would immediately patch him through.

''Not bad. I’m hopeful this will work like a charm.''

''Any chance you’ve managed to wrap this fantabulous superhero medicine up in a nice pill-sized package?''

He could practically hear Bruce’s sympathetic smile. ''Sorry, it’s going to have to be a shot, I’m afraid.''

Tony winced.

''He’ll be fine, Tony.'' Bruce’s voice was soft, caring, like he could tell what Tony was thinking. ''I’ll be up as soon as I’m finished.''

Tony muttered a thanks and palmed his face with a sigh. The kid hated needles, had damn near broken Tony’s fingers the last time he’d needed a canula inserted.

Time to work the Tony Stark magic.

He collected more blankets, refilled the water bottles whilst he waited for some popcorn to heat up, made some tea with excessive amounts of honey in it, and piled everything up onto a tray before heading back to Peter. He noticed the glass containing Rhodey’s green smoothie was only half empty and snorted under his breath. He slid the tray onto the table and dropped the bundle of blankets onto the floor.

''Stand up, kid,'' Tony instructed Peter and waited for the kid to peel himself off the couch. Then Tony began to assemble the blankets, pulling them this way and that, fluffing up cushions and tweaking corners and edges until he was satisfied.

''Not bad, huh?'' He looked at Peter who was standing obediently beside him, arms curled round his shivering body. ''The ladies of the house are at the cabin for the weekend so that means no invasion of our secret fortress anytime soon.''

He pushed Peter into the makeshift blanket fort, bundling him up in at least three more layers before handing him the mug of tea. He settled back into the blankets and glanced up at the television, eyebrows quirking upwards as he saw what Peter was watching.

A news report from earlier that day was on; a young reporter stood in a street somewhere downtown as a parade carried on nosily behind her. It seemed to be made largely up of local schools with children of all ages, dressed in all kinds of uniforms and costumes and sitting atop floats and decorated vehicles as they moved down the crowded street.

Peter wasn’t one for watching the news, he much preferred just skimming through the headlines on his phone whenever he had a spare minute, so Tony was confused as to why he had decided to watch it.

And then he heard the singing.

_''...Spider-Man Spider-Man, friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man…''_

A float draped in sheets of red and blue and plastered with plastic spiders drifted past the camera. A group of high-school kids dressed in band uniforms stood together and sang in perfect acapella harmony whilst a few other children performed an impressive acrobat routine behind them whilst wearing Spider-Man onesies.

_''...spins a web, any size, catches thieves just like flies, loooook out, here comes the Spider-Man…''_

_''And as you can see,''_ the reporter was saying with a smile, _''the love for our resident spider superhero is loud and clear today and is one of the main points of celebration within the youth parade this afternoon – ''_

Tony turned to look at Peter.

''So,'' he said, trying to hide his smile, ''you’ve finally ascended into the kingdom of Nerdvana and got yourself your own theme song.''

Peter grinned bashfully as he set his tea back down on the table, face turning red in a way that had nothing to do with his fever.

''Pop culture at its finest,'' he croaked, making Tony laugh brightly.

The moment was quickly ruined by a fresh wave of furious coughing and sneezing and Tony found himself audibly sighing in relief when Bruce finally arrived, frowning in concern at the tearful teenager huddled in a sea of blankets.

''Don’t worry, Peter,'' Bruce said, giving the boy a gentle smile as he perched on the arm of the couch. ''I’ve got just the thing to help.''

Peter moaned at the sight of the needle, turning his face to hide in the crook of Tony’s neck. Tony cupped the back of his head and gave Bruce a grim nod. Peter flinched as the needle pressed into his skin and Tony muttered a string of soothing words against his hair until it was over. Bruce rubbed Peter’s shoulder sympathetically before standing up.

''It shouldn’t take long to have an effect. It’ll probably make him feel pretty sleepy soon so hopefully he’ll be able to get a decent night’s sleep.''

No sooner had he spoken did Peter slump forward with a startled ''whoa''. Tony carefully eased him back into the cushions, sharing one last look with Bruce who gave him a reassuring smile before departing.

''There you go, kiddo,'' Tony said, tucking the blankets around him. ''Hopefully now you can – oh whoa okay you’re just going to turn into an octopus instead, huh?''

He tried to ease himself out of the crushing hold Peter had on him, huffing out a laugh as the kid practically purred against his shoulder.

''But you’re sooo nice to hug.''

''Oh, am I getting Dopey Peter tonight too?’’ He cupped Peter’s face and tilted it back to look into his eyes; eyes that were glazed and fluttering with weariness. ''Hi Dopey Peter.''

Peter beamed at him. ''Hi!''

''Hey, bud. You wanna do me a solid and loosen your grip?''

Peter pouted at him for a moment before obliging, fidgeting around but not moving less than an inch away from Tony’s side.

''You’re just jealous ‘cause I got a theme song.''

''You got me, kid,'' Tony said, tugging the kid downwards. ''I’m _so_ jealous.''

''We could totally give you a theme song,'' Peter slurred, sinking heavily into Tony. ''Like…Iron Man, Iron Man, really nice and shiny Iron Man…''

Tony snorted and nestled a hand into Peter’s curls, twisting them gently between his fingers. The kid continued to slump further down until he was tucked up into a loose ball, knees halfway up to his chest and head resting on Tony’s chest. He blinked his eyes rapidly, stubbornly trying to fight the veil of sleep that Tony knew was dragging over him.

An idea struck Tony then. Glancing around to make sure they were still alone in the room, he slouched down a little further into the cushions and tilted his head so that his mouth was close to Peter’s ear.

''Spider-Man Spider-Man,'' he crooned softly, ''friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man…''

The effect was almost instantaneous. Immediately Peter relaxed, body deflating with a sigh, head nestling further into Tony and a small smile curling his lips.

Tony carried on, his voice tender and soothing, singing the words so gently that they became a lullaby.

And if he slipped the odd 'Spider-baby' in there after Peter drifted off, well, nobody needed to know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SUCH. SHAMELESS. FLUFF!! 
> 
> This was inspired by two year old and his recently discovered ability to sing the Spider-Man theme song mashed up with the Spider-Pig version haha, it's adorable! 
> 
> Thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Fievel was (still is) one of my most favourite films as a kid. If you've never seen it, sort it out and go and watch it!
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this one! Please leave kudos and comments if you did :)
> 
> Also add me up on tumblr if you wanna chat about Endgame and Far From Home cos seriously, I need to talk about it as I think I'll need actual therapy once this is all over!


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